Banana growers in Australia will not have to worry about the market being flooded by a raft of Philippines-grown bananas, according to the Australian Banana Growers Council (ABCG), as strict conditions will be placed on the fruit's entry.
According to ABC News, the risk of pest and disease entering the country through importing Filipino bananas has been accounted for, with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service imposing stringent regulations.
'We believe that they should just say no because the risk is so great that if any bananas come into Australia they'll bring disease with them,' ABCG's Lee Collins told the publication. 'But biosecurity has set the bar fairly high and it will be very hard for any Filipino organisation to comply.'
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people from both inside and outside of the Australian banana industry have signed a petition opposing the Federal Government's decision to allow Philippine bananas to enter the country.
People involved in the protest took out advertisements urging people to back the online petition, while Nev Smith of Dynamic Timbers paid for radio airtime to air his views, The Cairns Post reported.
ABCG's Tony Heindrich explained that while reversing the decision would be tough, the petition could still influence the regulation process.
'The risk of exotic pests and diseases are so high that we're hoping the regulations will be too tough for the Philippines to comply with them,' he said.
